Quadding and centering device



R. H. TURNER QUADDING AND CENTERING DEVICE Filed Jan. 7, 1936 ATTORNEY5 INVENTOR Fewscwh. 7Z/RNER EE w Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE QUADDING AND CENTERING DEVICE Application January 7, 1936, Serial No. 58,017

23 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for automatically quadding and centering lines of matrices composed in typographical machines for the casting of type slugs therefrom, and it is more particularly an improvement upon such devices as shown, for example, in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,970,527, granted August 14, 1934, to S. E. Sperry, and my prior U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,959,312, granted May 15, 1934.

The object of the present invention is to increase the flexibility and range of the quadding and centering mechanism so that when the machine is set for casting lines of a given length corresponding to a given column width, short lines of less than the column width, such as appear around cuts or the like inserted in the column, and which require quadding in order to fill out the blank space beyond the characters in the line, will be automatically cast to a desired constant length. To this end the invention provides means whereby matrix lines composed shorter than the full line measure for which the vise jaws are set will, after either jaw or both jaws have closed upon them, justify automatically to a definite length constant with respect to the line receiving position or open position of one or the other of the vise jaws, that is, justification to such desired constant length will take place without the necessity on the part of the operator, as in my prior Patent No. 1,959,312, of manually setting or interposing any special means for limiting the space between the jaws within which the line is confined when justified. Moreover, the invention provides: for

such automatic casting of short lines to a desired constant length for both full and fractional parts of the unit of line measure employed.

According to the present invention, such devices as are associated with the quadding mechanism present on the machine for looking or stopping the vise jaws or otherwise limiting their outward movement after they have been closed against short matrix lines, will serve the purpose of so limiting the outward movement of the jaws and therefore the space between them in which the line is justified, whether that space be variable or irregular as in the usual process of quadding out different length short lines just as they happen to occur during the composition, or constant as required in the process of producing shorter than column width lines all of a constant length which will fit exactly in a given portion of the column width as, for ex ample, in order to run the composition around cuts or the like inserted in the column.

The exact manner in which the foregoing results are accomplished will be better understood from the description to follow in con- 5 junction with the accompanying drawing where- Fig. 1 is an elevation, viewed from the rear, of the usual vise, having the short line jaw stopping devices of the present invention applied thereto, the parts being shown in the positions they occupy prior to the movement of the vise jaws to close against a short matrix line presented between them;

Fig. 2 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in the positions they occupy after the vise jaws have closed against a short matrix line justified between the jaws prior to casting;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4. is a front elevation of a portion of the vise in Fig. 1; and

Fig; 5 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Similar parts are designated by the same 5 reference characters in the several views.

In carrying out the invention it is to be understood that the right and left hand vise jaws l and 2 respectively are movably arranged in guideways provided in the usual vise frame 3 of the machine (the jaw 2 being manually adjustable, as usual to set it for different length full matrix lines), and that either one of these jaws or both jaws may be coupled to a jaw closing lever 4 to enable the blank or unfilled space at either or both ends of a short matrix line to be quadded out automatically by movement of one or both jaws from their full line receiving position to a closed position against such short lines. The manner of operation of the quadding and cente-ring mechanism for accomplishing this is fully disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,970,527 above referred to, to which reference is made for a detailed illustration and description of such mechanism so that it is deemed unnecessary so far as the present invention is concerned to resort to a detailed description thereof except insofar as concerns the specific parts of the mechanism to which the present invention relates.

Briefly, the vise jaws I and 2 may be coupled to and uncoupled from a jaw actuating rack bar 5 so that either one of the vise jaws may be moved toward the opposed jaw according to which end of the line is to be quadded or left blank, the toothed bar 5 being constantly connected to the jaw closing lever 4 and serving to close the right hand jaw I when it is connected to that jaw by a coupling pin i and, through a pinion I at the lower end of a vertically reciprocable shaft T serving to close the jaw 2 if it is not coupled to the jaw I or, serving to close both jaws equi-distantly if coupled to the jaw l, while the pinion is in engagement with the rack bar 5 and. a cooperating rack bar 6 connected to the jaw 2.

As in Patent No. 1,970,527 above referred to, common means is provided for looking, or more strictly speaking, limiting the outward movement of one or the other or both vise jaws after the jaw or jaws have closed against a short matrix line, such means comprising a lever 8 pivoted at its lower end on a screw 9 in the vise frame, a toothed pawl 10 pivoted on a stud H in lever 8 and normally tending to swing upwardly at its outer end under the influence of a spring i l a toothed portion on the common jaw actuating bar 5, and a two armed latch i2 pivoted on a stud l3 in the vise frame.

According to the present invention the manner in which these parts operate differs in some respects from that disclosed in said Patent No. 1,970,527 referred to, but their action is similar in the respect that engagement takes place between the toothed pawl l0 and the jaw actuating bar 5. In the present instance the lever B is normally held to the left by a spring [4 where an adjustable stop l5, as contrasted with a fixed stop in the prior construction referred to, rests against a block I 6 on the vise frame as shown in Fig. 1. The stop [5 is mounted on the inner end of a shaft I! having a handle l8, the shaft being rotatable in a bearing I9 in the lever B and an outer bearing in a bracket 2! secured to the lever 8-as by screws 22. The stop i5 is provided with stopping faces 23 and 24 in addition to its normal face 25 so that rotation of the stop will bring one or the other of these faces into position to engage the block IS. A scale on the face of the bracket 2|, which face is visible from the front of the machine as shown in Fig.4, and a finger 26 fixed on shaft I! indicates the adjusted position of the stop 15. The shaft I! may be rotated to bring either of the three faces on stop l5 into engagement with the block 16, and such rotation of the shaft will swing the lever B to the 7 right so that the face 23 or the face 24 will retain the head 28 of the lever 8 out of the path of the roller 21 on the usual spaceband justification bar 29. As indicated on the scale in Fig. 4, the face 24 of stop l5 will hold the lever 8 one-half em further to the right than the face 23 and the face 25 will allow the head 28 of the lever B to stand in its normal position as heretofore in the path of the roller 27 as shown in Fig. l.

The action of the roller 27 on the head 28 of the lever 8, when the face 25 of the stop I5 is in active position, is the same as that described in prior Patent No. 1,970,527 hereinbefore referred to. Thus, after a matrix line has been presented between the vise jaws while the jaws are in matrix line receiving positions as shown in Fig. 1, and one or the other or both jaws have been moved inwardly against the ends of such matrix line, the usual justification action of the machine takes place as shown in Fig. 2. The upward rise of the justification bar 29 brings the roller 21 against the face of the head 23, and due to the cam surface 30 thereon, swings the lever 8 to the right and with it the pawl it. An upwardly projecting lug St on pawl i0 normally underlies the bottom edge of a pawl 32 pivoted at 33 on the rear side of the jaws actuating bar 5, the pawl 32 having a swinging movement restricted by an elongated slot 34 through which extends a pin 35 fixed in the bar 5, and the top face 36 of pawl 32 normally underlies a stop 31 which is adjustable longitudinally of the bar 5 by means of a handle 3i" on the vise frame as shown in Fig. 1. If the matrix line presented between the vise jaws were so long that the pawl 32 will not be carried from beneath the stop 37 when the vise jaws close on such line, the locking pawl 10 will be prevented by lug 3| and stop 3'! from swinging upwardly to engage the toothed bar 5, and upon justification of the line the jaw or jaws, according to whether one or both of them have been moved, will be allowed to move outwardly under the expanding influence of the spacebands in the line, the jaws being stopped in their outward movement by the usual vise jaw stops provided on these machines which stops determine the normal or full line measure setting of the jaws. If the matrix line presented between the jaws were short enough to allow the pawl 32 to be carried from beneath the stop 37 upon closing movement of the jaw or jaws, which takes place prior to the advance of the mold to casting position against the line, the locking pawl 10 in the construction according to Patent No. 1,970,527 hereinbefore referred to, would be free to swing upwardly at its outer end about the pivot l l upon engagement of roller 2! with the cam sur face 39 during subsequent justification of the short matrix line between the jaws, thus allowing the teeth 38 on the pawl 0 to engage the teeth 39 on the underside of the jaw actuating bar 5 and, due to the action of roller 2'! on lever 8, the pawl 10 would exert an inward or closing action on the jaw or jaws in opposition to the outward action thereon resulting from expansion of the spacebands in the line.

According to the present invention, however, the upward swing of pawl 50, about its pivot H, into engagement with the toothed bar 5, is pre vented from taking place when pawl 32 is carried from beneath stop 31' during the jaw closing operation, as in the case of short matrix lines, by a latch 40 pinned to a lock shaft i! mounted in a block 42 secured as by screws 43 to the vise frame. A dog M also pinned to the shaft ll projects beyond the mold engaging face of the Vise jaws as shown in Fig. 3, and a shoulder 45 along the lower edge of the latch 40 overlies a forwardly projecting lug 46 on the rear side of the pawl 10. The usual advance of the mold wheel 47 which brings the front face of the mold 48 into engagement with the faces of the vise jaws opposite thereto and against the character bearing edges of the matrices M in the line between the jaws results in contact of the front face of the mold with the dog 44, the latter being pressed inwardly and rocking the shaft 4? so as to release the shoulder 45 of the latch 48 from the lug 46 and thereby release the pawl in so that it can swing upwardly about its pivot l l and bring the pawl teeth 38 into engagement with the teeth 39 on the actuating bar 5. Justification of the short matrix line then takes place and due to roller engaging the cam 38 (the lever 53 being in the position shown in Fig. l), the lever 8 and pawl II] will be urged to the right and the short matrix lin will be clamped tightly between the jaws through the combined action of the wedge spacebands S expanding the line and driving the matrices outwardly against the jaw faces and the inward movement of the locking pawl ll] urging the bar 5 in the jaw closing direction in opposition to such expansion.

Whenever the length of the matrix line presented between the jaws is short enough topermit one or both vise jaws, as the case may be, to close a sufiicient distance to carry the pawl 32 from beneath the stop 31, release of the latch 40 from the lug 46 in the manner explained above will result in the jaw or jaws being urged inwardly, expansion of the wedge spacebands in the line together with the locking action of the pawl ID in opposition thereto assuring tight clamping of the line. If the line presented between the jaws does not contain the usual wedge spacebands it will be clear that such a line will be clamped tightly between the jaws as a result of the teeth on the locking pawl Ill, after the pawl is released, coming into engagement with the nearest teeth on the jaw actuating rod 5, the roller 21 then urging the jaw or jaws in the closing direction.

Should it be desired to cast matrix lines of less length than the length of lines extending across the given width of a column of printed matter, for example, to cast several equal length short matrix lines to fit around a cut or the like inserted in the column, the invention provides means to enable locking engagement between the pawl 19 when it is released and the jaw actuating bar 5 automatically to occur at the exact point along the bar 5 that is required in order to assure justification of all of such successive short lines exactly to the same length. It will be understood, of course, that when it is desired to cast a number of short matrix lines all to the same length but less than the length of full column width lines, the operator will compose such short lines to a length somewhat less than the length the lines will have after being justified, the allowance of space for justification which the operator may leave in composing the short lines depending upon the spacing between successive teeth on the actuating bar 5 and locking pawl I0. In the present instance, the vertical faces of these teeth are spaced one em apart so that in composing the short lines to be justified to a constant length shorter than the width of the column, the operator may leave the lines short by as much as one em of the measure they are to have after they are justified. If the teeth referred towere spaced two ems apart then the operator could compose the lines two ems short of their final justified length.

According to the present invention, the looking pawl I0 serves the dual purpose of limiting outward movement of the vise jaw or jaws during justification both after closing against short matrix lines that are only required to be justified to whatever irregular length they may have as they occur and also after closing against short matrix lines that are to be justified to a desired constant measure. As already stated, when casting short lines of irregular length, as in the usual quadding out of short lines, the locking pawl I0 is released when the advance of the mold against the vise jaws trips the dog 44, and subsequent justification of such lines brings the roller 21 in contact with the cam 30 to exert clamping action in a closing direction on the jaw or jaws in opposition to the spreading action of the wedge spacebands in the lines. In order that short matrix lines will be automatically justified to a desired constant measure, when this is required, the closing action imparted to the locking pawl I0 through roller 21, cam 30 and the resulting movement of lever 8 must be dispensed with since such closing action would result in varying the justified length of the matrix lines, both in proportion to the number of spacebands present therein and the distance which the roller 27 might travel along the cam 30, such distance being dependent upon the amount of expansion of the line that would be necessary before the vertical faces of the teeth on the locking pawl and those on the bar 5, by respectively opposite movements, become fully engaged. Therefore, when it is desired to cast a number of short matrix lines to a constant measure or length, the present invention provides that the lever 8 be moved out of range of the roller Ell by rotating the stop l5 in either direction according to whether the desired line length is a full em unit or fraction thereof, such as one-half em as herein provided.

As shown in Fig. 2, the stop it is in such position that its face 23 engages the block it so as to hold the lever B to the right and clear of the path of movement of the roller 27 during justification of the lines. Assuming that the operator now sends in matrix lines that are composed within one em of the desired length which they are to have when justified, the locking pawl in will be released as already described through the mold tripping the dog 44 and the pawl ill will immediately swing upwardly at its outer end so that its teeth 38 engage the teeth 39 on the bar 5. Since upon subsequent justification of the line the lever B will not be moved to the right because its head 28 stands clear of the roller 27, pawl ill and therefore the vertical faces of the teeth 38 thereon will occupy a position constant with respect to the open or line receiving position of the matrix engaging face of the jaw which has closed against the'line, whether it be the right hand jaw or the left hand jaw, and the only movement that can take place during justification to alter the space between the jaws is such outward movement of the jaw that has closed as will correspond to the allowance short of the final desired line length that was left by the operator. Such outward movement of the jaw that has closed against the short line will bring the vertical faces of the teeth 39 firmly against the vertical faces of the teeth 38 on the locking pawl l0 whereupon the matrix engaging face of the jaw, and consequently the end of the justified short lines adjacent thereto, will stand at the desired constant point with respect to such open or line receiving position of the jaw as shown in Fig. 1 and which denotes the end of lines of full column width. Should the stop 55 be rotated to bring its face 2 into engagement with the block Hi the lever B will be moved and retained outwardly clear of the path of roller 2'5, and the locking pawl ill and vertical faces of the teeth 38 thereon will occupy a constant position differing by one-half em from the position it occupied when face 23 was in contact with block it. Thus any matrix lines sent in that are composed within one em of the desired fractional line measure on the em system, onehalf em in the present instance, will automatically be cast to exactly such desired length when justified.

It should be understood that when the lever 8 is held clear of the roller 27 by either of the faces 23 or 24 of stop l5 it will be possible, providing spacebands are employed, automatically to quad out and justify short matrix lines to irregular lengths as they happen to occur as well as to justify to a desired constant length such short matrix lines as are composed to a length within one em or one-half em, as the case may be, of the desired constant length. In other words, the face 25 of stop IE only need be used when it is desired to have the machine set for automatically casting full length lines and irregular length quadded or centered lines as they occur, or when lines which do not contain spacebands are to be cast.

After the cast has taken place, the locking pawl is disengaged from the bar 5 by the usual downward movement of the vise jaw closing attachment 56 provided on these machines, the stud 5| engaging the rightward extending arm 52 of the latch [2 which in turn engages a shoulder 53 on the outer end of the pawl ill. The action of these parts is not directly concerned with the present invention but is fully described in the Patent No. 1,970,527 herein referred to. Upon retreat of the mold, aft-er the cast has taken place, the latch 40 under the influence of a spring 54 will reengage the lug 46 on pawl i8 due to the downward swing of the latter by the latch l2 as just explained.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against different length short matrix lines, line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the lines, and a jaw stop device located at a fixed point with respect to the line receiving position of the movable jaw and automatically operative at any closed position of the movable jaw to retain said jaw at a desired short line measure position.

2. In a slug casting machine having a pair of opposed vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position toward the opposed jaw to close against different length short matrix lines, line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the lines, and an adjustable jaw stop device.

operative automatically at any closed position of the movable jaw to limit the outward movement of the movable jaw from line closing position upon expansion of different length short matrix lines at either variable positions or at positions which are fixed with respect to the line receiving position of the movable jaw.

3. In a slug casting machine having a pair of opposed relatively movable vise jaws and means for moving one or both jaws from a full matrix line receiving position to close against different length short matrix lines presented between the jaws, line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the lines, and a jaw stop device fixed with respect to the line receiving positions of the jaws and operative automatically to retain the one jaw or both jaws at predetermined short line measure positions which are fixed with respect to its or their line receiving position during expansion of short lines of different lengths.

4. In a slug casting machine having a pair of opposed relatively movable vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full matrix line receiving position to close it against different length short matrix lines presented between the jaws, line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the lines, and a jaw stop device fixed with respect to the line receiving position of the movable jaw and operative automatically at any closed position of the movable jaw to retain the latter at diiferent positions which are fixed with respect to its line receiving position during expansion of the line.

5. In a slug casting machine having a pair of opposed relatively movable vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full matrix line receiving position toward the other jaw to close against different length short matrix lines, line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the lines, and a jaw stop device located in a fixed position in relation to the line receiving position of the movable jaw and operative automatically at any closed position of said jaw to interrupt the outward movement of the movable jaw upon expansion of the line at fixed points with respect to the line receiving position of the movable jaw and within a predetermined amount with respect to the composed length of the line.

6. In a slug casting machine having a pair of opposed relatively movable vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full matrix line receiving position toward the other jaw to close against different length matrix lines presented between the jaws which are shorter by a given amount than a full matrix line, justifying means for expanding spacebands in the lines, and a jaw stop device located in a fixed position with respect to the line receiving position of the movable jaw and operative automatically at any closed position of the movable jaw to limit the outward movement of the movable jaw upon expansion of 'the line at predetermined line measure positions which differ with respect to the line receiving position of said jaw according to the length of the short matrix lines.

7. In a slug casting machine having a pair of opposed relatively movable vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full matrix line receiving position to close against different length short matrix lines presented between the jaws, line justifying means for expanding spacebands when such are present in the lines, and an adjustable jaw stop device located in a fixed position with respect to the line receiving position of the movable jaw and adapted in one adjusted position to clamp a short line endwise between the jaws and in another adjusted position to permit the movable jaw to move outwardly to a predetermined line measure position which is fixed with respect to its line receiving position.

8. In a slug casting machine have a pair of opposed relatively movable vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full matrix line receiving position toward the other jaw to close against a short matrix line, and a jaw stop device having means for actuating it toexert inward closing action on the movable jaw after the latter has closed against a short matrix line and also having means for setting it into inoperative position with respect to its actuating means.

9. In a slug casting machine having a pair of opposed relatively movable vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full matrix line receiving position toward the other jaw to close against a short matrix line, line justifying means, and a jaw stop device having means for actuating it to exert inward closing action on the movable jaw after the latter has closed against a line and in opposition to the line expanding action of, the line justifying means, and also having means for setting it into inoperative position with respect to its actuating means to permit a short line to expand to a point having a fixed relative position with respect to the line receiving position of the movable jaw.

10. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws, means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving pomovable jaw.

11. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws, means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving positionto close it against a short matrix line, and line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the line, clamping means for limiting the outward movement of the movable jaw under the expansion of the line, and means settable at will to control the action of. said clamping means to stop the outward movement of the movable jaw at a predetermined line measure position which is fixed with respect to the line receiving position of the movable, jaw.

12. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, clamping means for limiting the outward movement of the movable jaw under the expansion of the line, and means for setting said clamping means to act automatically to arrest the outward movement of. the movable jaw at a predetermined line measure position which is fixed with respect to the line receiving position of such 13. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, means operative to clamp the movable jaw against the matrix line, and means controlling said clamping means to cause it to hold the movable jaw in a predetermined line measure position which is fixed with respect to its line receiving position.

14. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from. a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, means operative to clamp the movable jaw against the matrix line, and means for rendering said clamping means inoperative and to cause it to hold the movable jaw in a predetermined line measure position which is fixed with respect to its line receiving position.

15. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, means operative to clamp the movable jaw against the matrix line, and a stop having differently located stop-ping surfaces thereon and settable at will to render said clamping means inactive and cause it to arrest the outward movement of the movable jaw to locate said jaw at one or another predetermined line measure position which is fixed with respect to the line receiving position of such jaw.

16. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, means operative to move the movable jaw inwardly to clamp a short matrix line, and means to prevent jaw closing movement of said clamping means and to cause said clamping means to lock the movable jaw at a line measure position which is fixed with respect to its line receiving position.

17. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws and means for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, means operative to move the movable jaw inwardly to clamp a short matrix line, and a stop settable at will to lock the clamping means in an inactive position which is fixed with respect to the line receiving position of such jaw.

18. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws, means including a toothed member for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, and line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the line, a toothed pawl engageable with said toothed member, means for actuating said pawl and said toothed member engaged by it to move the movable jaw inwardly to clamp a short matrix line, and means for holding said pawl in inactive relation with respect to its actuating means and for locating it in a predetermined position to limit the outward movement of the movable jaw from line closing position, upon expansion of the line, to a predetermined position which is fixed with respect to the line receiving position of said jaw.

19. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws, means including a toothed member for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, and line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the line, a toothed pawl engageable with said toothed member, means operative by the line justifying means for actuating said pawl and the toothed member engaged by it to move the movable jaw inwardly to clamp a short matrix line, and a stop settable at will and having differently located portions thereon operative to hold said pawl in inactive relation with respect to its actuating means and to lock said pawl in one or another predetermined position to limit the outward movement of the movable jaw from line closing position, upon expansion of the line, to one or another predetermined position which is fixed with respect to the line receiving position of said jaw.

20. In a slug casting machine having a pair of vise jaws, means including a reciprocatory toothed member for moving at least one of the jaws from a full length matrix line receiving position to close it against a short matrix line, a mold movable into casting relation with the matrix line between the jaws, and line justifying means for expanding spacebands in the line, a toothed pawl having means tending to engage it with said toothed member and operative to limit the outward movement of the movable jaw under the expansion of the line, and means releasable by the movement of the mold into casting position for holding said pawl in disengaged relation with said toothed member during the closing of the movable jaw against a matrix line.

21. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a pair of matrix line confining vise jaws, means for moving at least one of the jaws inwardly from its line receiving position to close against and quad out short matrix lines, and a jaw stop adapted selectively either to retain the movable jaw in quadding positions having indeterminate relation to the line receiving position of the jaws, or in quadding positions detion of the jaws, or in quadding positions denoting short line measures having a definite predetermined relation to the line receiving position of the jaws.

23. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a pair of matrix line confining vise jaws, means for moving at least one of the jaws inwardly from its line receiving position to close A against short matrix lines of indeterminate composed length presented between the jaws, adjustable jaw retaining means adapted to hold the movable jaw in closed positions corresponding to the indeterminate lengths of the composed lines, or to hold said jaw in predetermined short line measure positions, and means for expanding the short matrix lines presented between the jaws to a length determned by said jaw retaining means.

RANSOM H. TURNER. 

